Machine for operating on stitchdown shoes



Julie 7, 1932. A. BATES 1,361,653

MACHINE FOR OPERATING ON STITCHDOWN SHOES Filed June 1. 1951 l I IPatented June 7, 1932 QNYEE ARTHUR BATES, 0F LEICESTER, ENGLAND,ASSIGNOR T0 UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF .PATEESON, NEVJJERSEY, A GORPORATIQN OF NEW-JERSEY MACHINE FOR OPERATENG 0N STITCHDOWNSHOES Application filed June 1, 1931, Serial No. 541,234, and in GreatBritain June 1'7, 1930.

This invention relates to machines for operating upon stitchdown shoesand is illustrated herein as embodied in a machine for lasting andpermanently securing uppers of boots and shoes of the stitchdown type totheir soles by a progressive operation. For the purpose ofexemplification merely, the invention is herein shown and described asembodied in a lasting and sewing machine of the type disclosed in UnitedStates Letters Patents No. 1,198,405 granted September 19, 1916, on myapplication, No. 1,209,659 granted December 26, 1916, on application ofBates and Gouldbourn, No. 1,321,148 granted November 11, 1919, onapplication of Fred Ricks, and No. 1,544,850 granted June 16, 1925, onapplication of Ricks and lVoodcock.

In operating machines of this type as heretofore constructed, an upperand sole assembled on their last are presented to the machine with themar ins of the upper and sole resting on the work support of themachine. T he margin of the upper projects rearwardly of the worksupport and beyond the edge of the sole so that it can be gripped by agripper operating at the rear of the work support which seizes theportion of the upper projecting beyond the edge of the sole and pullsthe upper, over the work support, tightly around the last. The gripperholds the upper under tension while a curved awl pricks the tensionedupper and the sole and while the work is fed by the awl and thegrippers. After the work is fed, the presser-foot of the machine clampsthe sole margin and the stretched upper against the work support while alockstitch is formed through the upper and sole by a curved needle.After the upper and sole have been thus secured together in this mannerby step-by-step pulling and stitch forming operations, the margin of theupper which projects beyond the sole has to be trimmed off and thetrimmedoii material is wasted.

One of the several objectsof the present invention is to prevent orminimize such waste of upper material byproviding mechanism for lastingand sewing stitchdown shoes the uppers of which have been so out beforethe lasting and sewing that their margins project very little if at allbeyond'the edge of the sole and, therefore, cannot be effectively.gripped'by-a gripper of the type disclosed in the above-mentionedpatents.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a lasting andsewing machine which, with a minimum of adjustment or change of parts,will operate effectively both upon stitchdowns of the type which, whenthey come to the machine, have an upper sufficiently full to allow themargin thereof to project well beyond the edge of the sole and uponstitchdowns of the type in which the upper is so scant that the marginthereof projects very little it at all beyond the edge of the sole.

The illustrated machine embodying the present invention is provided withmeans, illustrated as a work support, for working, tucking orcrowdingthe projecting margin of an upper into the angle between theside of the last and the projecting margin of a sole, and with a memberarranged at'the rear of the support or outwardly with respect to theshoe which is operated upon to engage, in said angle, the portion ofupper whichlies against the projecting marginof the sole, to press theupper against the sole and to pull or wipe the upper outwardly, thuscausing it to be drawn over the work support and tightly about the last.In the illustrated machine, the wiping member is constituted by one jawof a gripper the jaws of which, in accordance with the presentinvention, are, inone mode of operation, given mutual movements ofapproach to each other to grip an upper and bodily rearward movement totension the upper. To effect the above described wiping operation, oneof the gripper jaws, for example the lower jaw, may be made to extendforwardly beyond the upper jaw so that in its closing movement it willpressthe upper against the projecting margin of the sole and by itsrearward movement it will wipe and tension the upper over the worksupport.

- Since this organization is particularly effective when operating uponshoes the uppers of which are cut soscant that they do not, even whenlasted, project substantially beyond the edge of the sole andcannottherefore be gripped between the gripper jaws, means is providedin the illustrated machine for preventing closing movement of theopposed gripper jaw, illustrated as the upper jaw, without affecting theclosing movement of the other jaw, illustrated as the lower jaw, andwithout affecting the bodily rearward movement of the gripper as awhole. For permitting and preventing the closing movement of the upperjaw, the illustrated machine is provided with operator-controlled meanswhich can be operated during operation of the machine.

In order that the projecting lower jaw may operate effectively upon theoutturned margin of the upper which lies against the projecting marginof the sole, the work support may be made of very small extent fromfront to rear so as to expose the outturned portion of the upperopposite to the projecting margin of'the sole to the wiping and pullingaction of the lower jaw, the support serving, however, to hold the upperin the apex of the angle between the side of the last and the projectingmargin of the sole and against the side of thelast.

In order to eliminate the effect of an un desirable drag of the worksupport on the upper during the feed of the work while the projectinglower jaw is pressing upwardly upon the upper, means is provided in theillustrated machine for effecting a movement of the gripper in thedirection of feed prior to the feed of the work. As illustrated, the

i work is fed by bodily movement of a curved awl after it has penetratedthe work and a cam operated by the work penetrating movement of the awlcarrying segment acts upon the gripper to move it slightly in thedirection of feed before the awl moves in the direction of feed.

hen operating upon full uppers, that is, uppers the margins of whichwhen tucked into the angle by the work support will project suflicientlybeyond the edge of the sole to enable them to be seized by the gripper,the lower jaw is made to project little, if at all, beyond the upper jawand closing movement of the upper jaw is permitted so that the jaws willact to seize the portion of upper which projects beyond the edge of thesole and, during their bodily rearward movement, will tension the upperover the work support. For this purpose a work support having the usualextent from front to rear may be provided.

In the operation of lasting and sewing shoes with full or with scantuppers, in going around certain portions of the shoe, for example theheel end, the operation of the grippers is not desired, and in lastingand sewing other portions of the shoe, for example the shank and thefirst side of the 'forepart, only limited pulling movement of thegripper is advantageous. Accordingly, the illustrated machine isprovided with operatorcontrolled means for varying during operation ofthe machine the pulling movement of the gripper and for rendering thegripper inoperative to grip the upper by preventing the closing movementof one of its jaws, for example, as illustrated, the upper jaw.

In order toadapt the machine for operating upon shoes having scantuppers or upon shoes having full uppers, the illustrated constructionprovides for convenient adjustment of the'lower jaw from a position inwhich it projects forwardly beyond the upper aw to adapt it foroperation on scant uppers, to a position in which it projects little ifat all beyond the upper jaw to adapt it for operation upon full uppers,that is, uppers which project beyond the edge of the sole.

These and other features of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description when read in connection with the accompanyingdrawing and will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the head of astitchdown lasting and sewing machine embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of parts shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line IIIIII of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan view on an enlarged scale of the work support andadjacent operating instrumentalities Fig. 5 is a side elevation, partlyin section, showing adjusting means for the lower jaw;

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view, partly in section, showing the operatinginstrumentalities of the machine as organized for operating on shoeshaving scant uppers; and

Fig. 7 is a similar view showing the operating instrumentalities of themachine as organized for operating on shoes having full uppers.

The illustrated machine, as organized for lasting and sewing stitchdownshoes having full or scant uppers, has in general the organization ofthe machine disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,198,405referred to above. For work on scant uppers a work support 8 has a thinwork supporting bar portion 10 the front and upper faces of which are inthe same position in relation to an awl 11 and needle 13 as are thefront and upper faces of the support as usually constructed. To effectthis, the portion of the usual support 15 (Fig. 7) at the rear of theusual slot through which the needle and awl pass is removed.

The gripper of the machine embodying the present invention isconstructed and arranged so that, during the operation of the machine,the lower jaw 12 is moved yieldingly upwardly and the upper jaw 14 mayat times be moved downwardly yieldingly toward the lower jaw as thegripper is closed. The lower jaw 12 is detachably fixed to a lower jawcarrier 16 which is pivoted at 18 in a recess tween the aw carrier 24and the jaw 14 is such that, upon loosening the screw 22, the jaw may beadjusted somewhat forwardly and rearwardly of the machine. The jaws 12and 14 may be readily removed without dismantling any parts of themachine for renewal or, in the case of the lower jaw, for a purpose tobe explained. he lower jaw carrier 16 has on it a projection 28 on whicha leaf spring 30 fixed to the gripper bar 20 bears and tends to pressdown the rear end of the lower jaw carrier 16 into contact with the bar20 and hence tends to raise its forward end. The lower jaw car- 1 16 hasformed on it a lug 32 which proects over a lug 34 on the upper jawcarrier 24.

The upper jaw carrier 24 is pivotally connected at 36 by a universaloint to the lower end of a rod 38 the upper end of which passes freelythrough a bore in a block 40 and has at its upper end a nut 42 and locknut 44. A spring 46 surrounds the rod 38 and is confined between theblock 40 and the forked lower end of the rod 38. The block 40 is pivotedat 48 to a fork formed on the end of a spindle 50 which is rotatablymounted in a cam lever 52 so that the block 40 has universal connectionwith the lever 52. The lever 52 is pivotally connected at 54 to an arm56 which is pivoted at 58 to the machine frame and formed in the leveris a square against the flange 66. The rear end of the rod 64 and theparts carried thereby pass freely through an opening in the arm 56. Thecylindrical block 68 has formed in each side of it a recess, whichrecesses receive the rounded forked ends of a lever 72 pivoted on ashaft 74 fixed in the machine frame. The lower end of the lever 72 isconnected by a universal joint 7 6 to the rear end of the gripper bar20. The gripper bar 20 is supported at its forward end by a link 78which is mounted on a barrel-shaped eccentric stud 80 fixed to a usualawl carrying feed slide 82. By rotating the stud 80, the lower gripperjaw, and the gripper bar 20 with it, may be adjusted heightwise inrelation to the work support 10. The link 7 8 is connected to thegripper bar 20 by a coupling 84 which is pivoted to the gripper bar at86 and has a depending stud 88 rotatably mounted in the link 78, one ofthe pivots of the coupling 84, for example 86, having a barrelshapesimilar to that of the stud 80 to provide for tipping of the link 78 relatively to the bar 20 in the direction of feed.

As the cam shaft 62 rotates in the direction of the arrow from theposition shown in Fig. 1, the lever 52 is first moved rearwardly and,through the flange 66 and block 68, positively swings the lever 72 in acounterclockwise direction about the shaft 7 4, thus moving the gripperbar 20- and the jaws 12 and 14 forwardly toward the work support 10. Thefront end of the lever 52 is then,

lowered about the pivot 54 and during the first part of this movementthe rear ends of the upper and lower jaw carriers 16 and are loweredabout the pivot 18 by the downward thrust of the rod 38 and the actionof "he spring 30, the front ends of the jaw carriers being raised. Thisaction continues until a face 90 on the lower jaw carrier 16 engages thebottom of the recess in the gripper bar 20 in which the carriers 16 and24 are arranged, the spring 80 insuring that this downward movement ofthe carriers shall occur before closing movement of the upper jaw of thegripper oc urs. ll hen the face 90 has come into engagement with thebot-- tom of the recess in the gripper bar 20, the work engaging face ofthe lower jaw has risen to a point just above the upper face or edge ofthe work support 10 and has brought the margin of the upper, assumed tobe projecting over the work support and between the jaws, to that level(Fig. 6). After the downward movement of the rear ends of the grippercarriers ceases, continued downward movement of the lever 52 moves theupper gripper jaw carrier 24 about its pivot 26 to close the gripperjaws on the margin of the upper if the upper is full enough to extendbetween them. Continued downward movement of the forward end of thelever 52 after the gripper has been closed on the work compresses thespring 46, compression of which compensates for differences in thethickness of the upper materials. As the shaft 62 continues to rotate,the lever 52 is moved forwardly by the cam 66 and swings the lever T2 ina clockwise direction on its shaft 74, thereby drawing the gripperrearwardly to pull the upper. The strength of the pull on the upper maybe varied by adjusting the spring 70 through which the pull on the upperis imparted and which, in any event, yields after the lever 72 hasengaged an adjustable stop 92 if the lever moves to that extent. Whenthe grippers are closed, the lugs 32 and 34 separate and, when thegrippers are opened by the upward movement of the lever 52, which occursas the rotation Ill;

of an inch when the jaws are closed. The gripper occupies the sameposition laterally of the machine relatively to the awl and needle as isdisclosed in Patent No. 1,198,405, referred to above. By reason of thereduction in width from front to rear of the work supporting portion ofthe work support and of the forward projection of the lower gripper jawrelatively to the upper jaw, the lower jaw in its advanced position isactually so close to the last that it is in the paths of the awl andneedle when these are viewed in the direction of the axis about whichthey swing.

In the illustrated machine, according to the present invention, a link94 is connected to a member 96 rotatably mounted on the shaft 74. Themember 96 is pivotally connected at 98 to a rod 100 which has a slidingconnection with a rod 102, there being a compression spring 104interposed between the two rods. The rod 102 is pivotally connected at106 to a rod 108 which is slidably mounted in the upper jaw carrier 24and has on its end a block 110. The'block 110 may be moved from theposition shown in Fig. 1, in which position of the block the gripper canclose and open during the operation of the machine, to a positionbetween the upper jaw carrier 24 and a face 112 on the lower jaw carrier16, in which position the block prevents the gripper from closing duringthe operation of the machine while permitting the characteristicmovement of the lower jaw.

In the illustrated machine operator-controlled mechanism is provided foradjusting the block 110 during operation of the machine into and out ofposition to prevent closing movement of the gripper by preventingclosing movement of the upper jaw and for adjusting the stop 92 to varythe pulling movements of the gripper. This mechanism, which in generalis similar to that disclosed in Patent No. 1,209,659 referred to above,comprises a laterally movable knee lever 114 fulcrumed at 115 and havingat its rear end a suitable connection to one arm of a bellcrank lever116 the other arm of which is connected by a rod 117 to a verticallymovable slide 118 whereby lateral movements of the knee lever impartvertical movements to the slide. In the lower portion of the slide 118is a slot 120 engaging a pin or roll 121 lever 78 to limit its rearwardmovement and hence to limit the pulling movement of the gripper, theslot 120 being so shaped that upon still further movement of the slidein the same direction the stop 92 will be retracted progressively toincrease the pulling movement imparted to the gripper. A bell cranklever 126 is pivoted at 128 to the frame, one arm of the lever carryinga pin or roll 129 engaging aslot 130 in the slide 118 and the other armof the bell crank 126 is, pivoted to the link 94 so that movement of thebell crank lever 126 in a counterclockwise direction (Fig. 1) will causethe member 96 to be rotated in a clockwise direction and hence the block110 to be moved over the face 112 to prevent closing movement of theupper gripper jaw. The upper portion of the slot 130 is vertical so thatduring the first part of the upward movement of the slide 118 nomovement will be imparted to the bell crank lever 126 but the stop 92will be operated. Further movement of the slide 118, however, after thestop 92 has reached the limit of its forward movement, causes aninclined portion of the slot 130 to operate the bell crank lever 126 andmove the block 110 into position to prevent closing movement of theupper gripper jaw. Still further movement of the slide serves to controlthe rearward movement of the lower jaw while the jaws remain open.

As shown in Fig. 5, the lower gripper aw may be constructed and arrangedfor quick adjustment forwardly and rearwardly of the machine so as toposition its gripping portion either substantially in vertical alinementwith the forward end of the upper jaw or so that the gripping face ofthe jaw projects a considerable distance forwardly beyond the grippingface of the upper jaw, the amount of this projection being, for example,about of an inch. To this end, a lower jaw 140, as shown in Fig. 5, hasformed in it a slot 142 through which passes the pivot pin 18 of thelower jaw carrier. The slot 142 in the lower jaw is substantiallyhorizontal and at each end of it at its upper side has extending from ita semi-circular recess 144 to receive the pivot pin 18. One or the otherof the two recesses 144 is held in engagement with the pivot pin 18 by aleaf spring 146 fixed to the lower jaw carrier 16 and bearing on thelower gripper jaw. The jaw 140 has in it a second slot 148 through whichpasses a pin 150 fixed in the lower jaw carrier 16. By lifting the lowerjaw it may be moved forwardly or rearwardly of the machine and whenreleased the leaf spring 146 will cause one or the other of the recesses144 to engage the pin 18 and hold the jaw in position during operationof the machine.

The pivot pin 18 is arranged in such a position on the gripper bar thatas the lower jaw carrier 16 is swung on the pivot 18 to move the lowerjaw toward the upper jaw, the lower jaw moves considerably forwardly ofthe machine as well as upwardly and thus enters well into the anglebetween the side of the last and the outturned margin of the upperbefore begins to move rearwardly.

The machine is preferably equipped with an upper bedding member 152-(Fig. l) constructed and operated substantially as disclosed in PatentNo. 1,321,148 mentioned above. In the illustrated machine, the beddingmember 152 is cut away at the rear of its work engaging portion so as toprovide clearance for the projecting gripper jaw so that the portion ofthe bedding member adj acent to the gripper aw has an extent from frontto rear substantially equal to that of the work suppor 10, for exampleabout of an inch. Withthis construction the gripper jaw 12 can projectbeneath the margin of the sole and engage the margin of the upper whichprojects rearwardly beyond the narrow portions of the work support andthe bedding member.

The machine is preferably equipped with a sole straightening member 154constructed and operated as dislosed in Patent No. 1521,1 18 or asdisclosed in Patent No. 1,541,850, both mentioned above.

To adapt the machine for sewing and lasting stitchdown shoes having fulluppers, that is, shoes in which the upper extends beyond the edge of thesole, the above-described lower jaw shown in Fig. 1 is exchanged for ashorter aw or, if the construction shown in Fig. 5 is used, the lowerjaw is thrust back so that the forward edge of the lower jaw, when thegripper is closed, will be in alinement with the forward edge of theupper aw or will project slightly in front of it. Preferably, too, awork support 15 similar to that disclosed in Patent No. 1,321,148, abovere ferred to, will be provided, as indicated in T. The machine is thenready for last ing and sewing stitchdown shoes which have the iargin ofthe upper projecting far enough beyond the sole edge to be gripped bythe gripper, it being understood that the upper jaw operates entirely atthe rear of the ed of the sole margin. A welt introduced through anopening 151 in the bedding member 152 may be sewed on in conjunctionwith the operation of lasting and sewing the upper to the sole.

To ada he machine for lasting and sewface ing stitchdown shoes havingscant uppers, that is, uppers which will not, even when lasted, projectbeyond the edge face of the role, the lower gripper aw is changed for alonger one or, when the construction shown in i ig. 5 is used, the lowerjaw is pulled foru. so that it projects about of an inch in front of theupper jaw, as shown in Fig. 6, and the work support 10 shown in Fig. 1is restored to the machine. The welt is also preferably withdrawn fromthe welt guide 151 in the member 152. By thus providing a projectinglower jaw and an appropriate work support, the machine is ready forlasting and sewing stitchdowns in which the upper is cut so that it doesnot project substantially beyond the sole edge and which do not have a.welt attached to the outturned margin of the upper. VVheu the machine isin the position to receive an upper and sole on their last, whether themachine is arranged to last and sew one or the other kind of stitchdownshoe above referred to, the curved hooked needle 13 and the awl 11 arerespectively above and below the work support and the gripper is backand open, the control slide 118 being at this time adjusted by the kneelever 114 in position to hold the block 110v forward between the upperjaw carrier and the face 112 of the lower jaw carrier and the stop 92being forward so that the gripper receives only a very short movement inthe direction of pull.

The work is presented to the machine so that the operation commences atabout the heel breast and proceeds along the shank toward the beginningof the forepart. Supposing a stitchdown shoe having a scant upper to bethus presented to the machine and the machine started, the outturnedportion of the upper and the projecting portion of the sole will beyieldingly held between the work support 10 and a presser-foot 157 (Fig.6) the upper being tucked or crowded by the support 10 into the anglebetween the side of the last and the projecting margin of the sole. Theforward end of the lower gripper jaw carrier ismoved forward and raisedto bring the lower jaw into engagement with the margin of the upper andto thrust the upper up against the sole margin which is being held downby the presser-foot 157. The lower gripper jaw is then moved rear wardlyand wipes the upper rearwardly across the sole margin and pulls itaround the work support, thus drawing it tightly to the last. To enhancethis wiping and pulling effect of the lower gripper jaw, its upperengaging face is preferably provided with serrations 158, as shown inFig. 5. After the lower aw of the open gripper has thus by its rearwardmovement pulled the wiped upper tight about the last, it is moved aboutof an inch in the direction of feed before the awl 11 enters thetensioned upper, so that the'lower jaw may exert a slight pull ontheupper along the last in the direction of feed to prevent drag of thework support on the upper as the shoe is later fed over it, this draghaving a resultant undesirable effect when the upper has, as in thiscase, not been seized by both jaws of the gripper but is merely beingpressed against the sole margin by the lower jaw of the gripper. To movethe gripper in this manner, there is formed upon an awl carrying segment159 (Figs. 1 and 2) a cam face 160 which, before the awl enters thework, engages a cam face 161 on the link 7 8 and moves the upper end ofthe link and the gripper in the direction of feed. A spring 162 fixed tothe feed slide 82 acts when the awl retires to return the link 7 8 andhence the gripper bar 20 to their normal position in the direction offeed. After the awl has entered the work, the gripper continues as usualto move with the awl in the direction of feed and, since its lower jawis pressing upwardly against the sole margin, it assists in feeding thework. The stitch is then formed in the usual manner.

It will be understood, however, that when the machine is started forsewing along the shank portion of a stitchdown shoe having a full upper,the lower jaw of the gripper is incapable of exercising any pulling orfeeding effect upon the upper since, though the gripper is moved in thesame way, any upper material which may project beyond the sole edge isunsupported from above.

When, in the lasting and sewing of stitchdown shoes having scant uppers,the joint between the shank and forepart is reached, the slide 118 ismoved by the knee lever to its mid position, thus moving the block 110from between the upper jaw carrier 24 and the face 112 to allow thegrippers to close but to retain the stop 92 substantially in the sameposition. The lasting and sewing operation then continues along theforepart, the upper being only slightly pulled by being gripped by thegripper if stitchdowns of the type having full uppers are being operatedupon or, if stitchdown shoes of the type having scant uppers are beingoperated upon, the upper being either wiped and gripped or merely wipedby the grippers according to the amount of upper available. When theoperation of lasting and sewing reaches the beginning of the toeportion, the slide 118 is moved by the knee lever-to a lower position,in which position the grippers still open and close, but the stop 92 ismoved back to give the grippers full pulling capacity. The lasting andsewing are then continued around the toe and along the forepart at theopposite side until the ball line is reached. During the lasting andsewing the upper is pulled over the work support and drawn tight to thelast in either of the ways above referred to and the member 154;operates to straighten the sole in the usual manner. When the ball lineis reached, the knee lever is moved to raise the slide 118 to itshighest position and the shank portion is lasted and sewn in a mannersimilar to that in which the shank portion on the other side of the shoewas sewn. If the lasting and sewing are continued around the heel end ofthe lasted and sewn, the lower gripper jaw may project slightly in frontof the upper jaw and it will therefore be observed that when stitchdownsof this character are being operated on, even if the margin of the upperdoes not project beyond the sole edge, the

upper may be engaged and pulled somewhat by the lower jaw, the lower jawbeing so shaped that when the gripper is moved for ward the front end ofthe lower j aw is at one side of the work support so that the lower jawcan press the margin of the upper up against the sole, the jaw being,'of course, moved back before any feed takes place. This projection ofthe lower jaw forwardly of the upper jaw does not affect the laying ofthe welt.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a machine for operating on stitchdown shoes, the combination ofmeans for crowding the upper into the angle between the side of the lastand the projecting margin of the sole, a member for engaging the upperin said angle, means for operating said member to force it toward theupper and to move it rearwardly to tension the upper outwardly of theshoe, and means for securing the upper and sole together while the upperis so tensioned.

2. In a machine for operating on stitchdown shoes, the combination ofmeans for working an upper into the angle between the side of the lastand the projecting margin of the sole, a member for engaging theoutturned margin of the upper opposite to the projecting margin of thesole and acting to tension the upper over the working means, and meansfor securing'the upper and sole together.

3. In a machine for operating on stitchdown shoes, the combination ofmeans for crowding successive portions of the upper into the anglebetween the side of the last and the projecting margin of the sole, amember for engaging each portion of the upper in said angle, means foroperating said member to force it toward the upper and to move itrearwardly to tension the upper outwardly of the shoe, and means forsewing a seam progressively through the successive portions of the upperso tensioned and through the sole.

4. In a machine for operating on stitchdown shoes, the combination ofmeans for tucking the upper into the angle between the side of the lastand the projecting margin of the sole, said member engaging the upper atits apex and along one side, a member for engaging the upper in saidangle at the side not engaged by the tucking means, means for operatingsaid member to force it toward the upper and to move it rearwardly totension the upper outwardly of the shoe, and means for secu ing theupper and sole together while the upper is so tensioned.

5. In a machine for operating on stitchdown shoes, the combination ofsewing means including an awl and needle, means for working an upperinto the angle between the side of the last and the projecting margin ofthe sole, and a member for engaging the outturned margin of the upperand acting to wipe outwardly successive portions of the upper to tensionthe upper over the working means as the sewing operation progresses.

6. In a machine for operating on stitchdown shoes, the combination ofmeans for working an upper into the angle between the side of the lastand the projecting margin of the sole, said means engaging the upper atthe apex of the angle and along the side of the angle next to the last,a member for engaging the outturned margin of the upper at the side ofthe angle next to the sole, means for operating the member to tensionthe upper over the working means, and means for securing the upper andsole together.

7. In a machine for operating on stitchdown shoes, the combination ofsewing means including curved awl and needle, a work support adapted toenter the angle between the side of the last and the projecting marginof the sole and to tuck the upper into said an le, and a member forengaging the outturned margin of the upper and acting by movement towardthe sole and movement outwardly of the shoe to tension the upper inconjunction with the operation of the sewing means.

8. In a machine for operating on stitchdown shoes, the combination of awork support adapted to enter the angle between the side of the last andthe projecting margin of the sole to tuck the upper into the apex ofsaid angle and to hold the upper against the side of the last, a memberfor engaging the outturned margin of the upper in said angle, and meansfor operating said member to move it toward the sole and outwardly ofthe shoe to tension the upper.

A stitchdown lasting and sewing machine having, in combination, a worksupport of small extent from front to rear, a gripper located at therear of the support, one jaw of the gripper projecting beyond the otherjaw into the angle between the side of the last and the projectingmargin of the sole to engage the upper in said angle, means foreffecting mutual closing movement of the jaws and for moving themreal-wardly, and means for sewing the outturned upper to the projectingmargin of the sole.

10. A stitchdown lasting and sewing machine having, in combination, awork support to engage the shoe in the angle between the side of thelast and the projecting margin of the sole, a gripper comprising upperand lower jaws located at the rear of the support, the lower jaw of thegripper projecting beyond the upper jaw into said angle, means foreffecting mutual closing movement of the jaws and for moving themrearwardly, and means for forming stitches through the upper and soleadjacent to the point sustained by the work support.

11. In a machine for operating on stitchdown shoes, the combination of awork support adapted to enter the angle between the side of the last andthe projecting margin of the sole and to tuck the upper into said angle,and a member for engaging the outturned margin of the upper and actingby movement toward the sole and movement outwardly of the shoe totension the upper.

12. A machine for operating on stitchdown shoes having, in combination,a work support, a gripper located at the rear of the support, one jaw ofthe gripper projecting beyond the upper jaw and into the angle be tweenthe side of the last and the projecting margin of the sole, and meansfor effecting mutual closing movement of the jaws and for moving themrearwardly whereby an upper that projects beyond the edge of the solewill be gripped between the jaws and pulled and an upper that is soscant that it does not project beyond the sole edge will be engaged andwiped outwardly of the shoe by the projectthe jaws, and means for movingthem rearwardly when closed whereby an upper projecting beyond the soleedge will be seized and pulled and an upper that does not project beyondthe sole edge will be engaged by tie lower jaw and wiped outwardly ofthe s 0e.

14. A stitchdown lasting and sewing machine having, in combination,sewing mechanism acting to secure together the outturned margin of theupper and the projecting margin of the sole, a work support, a gripperlocated at the rear of the support,'the lower jaw of the gripperprojecting beyond the upper jaw into the angle between the side of thelast and the projecting margin of the sole, means for effecting movementof both jaws of the gripper to close the jaws, and means for moving themrearwardly when closed whereby an uppper projecting beyond the sole edgewill be seized andpulled and an upper that does not project beyond thesole edge will be engaged by the lower jaw and wiped outwardly of theshoe prior to the action of the sewing mechanism.

15. A stitchdownlasting and sewing machine having, in combination, awork support to engage the upper and hold it in the angle between theside of the last and the projecting margin of the sole and against theside of the last, a gripper located at the rear of the support, one jawof the gripper projecting beyond the. other jaw into said angle, meansfor effecting movement of both jaws of the gripper to close the jaws,and means for moving them rearwardly when closed where by an upperprojecting beyond the sole edge will be seized and pulled and an upperthat does not project beyond the sole will be engaged by the lower jawand wiped outwardly of the shoe.

16. A stitchdown lasting and sewing machine having, in combination, awork support for holding the upper in the angle be tween the side of thelast and the projecting margin of the sole and against the last, agripper located at the rear of the support, one jaw of the gripperprojecting beyond the upper jaw and into said angle, and means forefiecting mutual closing movement of the jaws and for moving themrearwardly whereby an upper that projects beyond the edge of the solewill be gripped between the jaws and pulled and an upper that is soscant that it does not project beyond the sole edge will i be engagedand wiped outwardly of the shoe by the projecting aw. i

17 A stitchdown lasting and sewing machine having, in combination,stitch forming means acting progressively to secure the outturned marginof the upper to the projecting margin of the sole, a work support, agripper located at the rear of the support, one aw of the gripperprojecting beyond the upper aw and into the angle between the side ofthe last and the projecting margin of the sole, and means for effectingmutual closing movements of the jaws and for moving them rearwardlywhereby successive portions of an up per that projects beyond the edgeof the sole will be grippped between the jaws and pulled and successiveportions of an upper that is so scant that it does not project beyondthe sole edge will be engaged and wiped outwardly of the shoe by theprojecting aw.

18. In a machine for operating on stitchdown shoes, the combination of awork support adapted to enter the angle between the side of the last andthe projecting margin of the sole, a gripper having jaws constructed andarranged for mutual closing movement, and means for moving one jawtoward and from the work support, one jaw being constructed and arrangedfor adjustment relatively to the other jaw from a position substantiallyflush with the other jaw to a position in which it projectssubstantially for- Ward of the other jaw and into the angle between theside of the last and the projecting -margin of the sole, the machine inone adj ustment of the jaw being adapted for gripping a full upper thatprojects beyond the margin shoes having, in combination, a work support,

a gripper located at the rear of the support, one jaw of the gripperproj ecting beyond the other jaw into the angle between the side of thelast and the projecting margin of the sole, and means for effectingmutual closing movement of the jaws and for moving them rearwardly.

20. In a lasting machine, a. lasting gripper, means for effecting mutualclosing movements of the gripper jaws, and means for preventing closingmovement of one j aw without affecting the closing movement of the otherjaw.

21. In a lasting machine, a lasting gripper, means for moving thegripper longitudinally substantially in the plane of the gripping facesof the jaws to tension an upper, means for effecting mutual closingmovements of the gripper jaws prior to their longitudinal movement, andmeans for arresting movement of one of the jaws without affecting themovement of the other jaw or the movement of the gripper as a whole.

22. In a lasting machine, a lasting gripper, means for effecting mutualclosing move ments of the gripper jaws, and means under control of theoperator for preventing during operation of the machine closing movementof one jaw without affecting the closing movement of the other jaw.

23. In a lasting machine, means for securing an upper to a sole, alasting gripper, means for supporting a shoe, means for effecting mutualclosing movements of the gripper jaws, and means for preventing closingmovement of one jaw without affecting closing movement of the other jaw.

24. In a lasting machine, a lasting gripper, means for moving thegripper longitudinally substantially in the plane of the gripping facesof the jaws to tension an upper, means for efiecting mutual closingmovements of the gripper jaws prior to their longitudinal movement, andoperator-controlled means for arresting movement of one of the jawswithout affecting the movement of the other jaw or the movement of thegripper as a whole.

25. In a lasting machine, a lasting gripper, means for moving thegripper longitudinally substantially in the plane of the gripping facesof the jaws to tension an upper, means for eflecting mutual closingmovements of the gripper jaws prior to their longitudinal movement, andmeans for arresting movement of one of the jaws without affecting themovement of the other jaw or the movement of the gripper as a whole.

26. In a machine for operating on stitchdown shoes, the combination of awork sup-, port adapted to enter the angle between the side of the lastand the projecting margin of the sole and to hold the upper in the apexof said angle and against the side of the last, a gripper having upperand lower jaws constructed and arranged for mutual closing movement, andmeans for moving the jaws toward and from the work support, the lowerjaw being constructed and arranged for adjustment relatively to theupper jaw from a position substantially flush with the other jaw to aposition in which it projects substantially forward of the other jaw andinto the angle between the side of the last and the projecting margin ofthe sole.

27 In a lasting and sewing machine, the combination of work feedingmeans, a work support to enter the angle between the side of the lastand the projecting margin of the sole, a gripper having a jaw projectinginto said angle, and means for efiecting a movement of the jaw in thedirection of feed prior to the operation of the work feeding means.

28. In a lasting and sewing machine, a curved awl, an operating segmentfor the awl, means for moving the awl to feed the work, a work support,a gripper for tensioning the upper relatively to the support, and meansoperated by movement of the awl segment for moving the gripper in thedirection of feed prior to the feed movement of the awl.

29. In a lasting and sewing machine, a curved awl, an operating segmentfor the awl having a cam surface, means for moving the awl to feed thework, a work support, a gripper for tensioning the upper relatively tothe support, a member connected with the gripper having a cam surface,and means for operating the awl segment to cause engagement of said camsurfaces to move the grlpper in the direction of feed prior to the feedmovement of the awl.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ARTHUR BATES.

